SLO County dogs getting high off owners’ pot supplies

February 21, 2017

An Atascadero veterinarian says he is treating an increasing number of dogs who have consumed THC, the active ingredient in marijuana. The spike in cases has occurred since California voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use last November. [KSBY]

Ofer Cherbinsky, a veterinarian at Atascadero Pet Hospital Emergency Center, said he is currently treating about 10 dogs a month for THC consumption. The dogs are inhaling or ingesting THC.

The dogs Cherbinsky treats that ingest THC are eating cooked and baked cannabis products or marijuana nugs, the veterinarian said. Some of the dogs are eating cannabis or marijuana products out of the garbage.

One dog ingested THC by eating out of a compost pile, Cherbinsky said. The veterinarian said improper disposal of cannabis and marijuana products seems to be the problem.

When owners take dogs with THC toxicity to the veterinarian, the animals display a variety of symptoms.

Most dogs that have THC toxicity are dribbling some urine, Cherbinsky said. If the dogs are severely affected, they will collapse and go into a coma or seizures, during which they do not control their temperature very well.

Though its uncommon for THC exposure to be lethal in dogs, the animals’ heart rate can go down and they can die, the veterinarian said.

Cherbinsky says it is easy to spot if a dog is under the influence of marijuana, but testing can be problematic. It is more difficult to determine the toxicity level in a dog’s urine than in a human’s urine, Cherbinsky said.

A negative test does eliminate the possibility that there may be THC toxicity. In the case that a dog tests negative for THC toxicity, but the owner says the animal was exposed to THC, the veterinarian gives more weight to the owner’s statement.

Cherbinsky also said he does not know if dogs are metabolizing THC the same way humans do.

If a dog has consumed marijuana but is not showing symptoms, the owner should try to make the animal vomit. However, the owner should not try to make the dog vomit if it is in a lethargic, altered state, Cherbinsky said.

When an owner brings a dog to the veterinarian after it has consumed THC, it is important for the individual to be honest about what has occurred, Cherbinsky said. That allows veterinarians to provide treatment as quickly as possible.

However, if a dog comes to the vet several times with symptoms of THC consumption, the veterinarian can report the owner because it is considered animal abuse.

In order to prevent dogs from consuming THC, Cherbinsky says owners must store their marijuana in places that cannot be accessed by their animals. Likewise, dog owners must make sure that when they are throwing away marijuana products, the garbage is secure.

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mkaney

The lethal oral dose for a dog is between 3000mg/kg and 9000mg/kg of pure THC. So a 20 pound dog would have to eat at minimum 27 grams of PURE THC in order for it to be lethal. To get that much THC a dog would have to eat over a pound of the finest quality marijuana. That’s A LOT of pot.

This vet is spreading paranoia.

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02/21/2017 5:44 pm

retiredpoliceofficer

This article is fake news. First of all no one throws marijuana in the garbage. The vet doesn’t say how he treats the dogs. Dogs have been getting stoned accidentally or intentionally forever and just get straight in time, same as people .

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02/21/2017 3:47 pm

BeenThereDoneThat

The old adage of a dealer…….don’t get high on your supply. Now they’ll have to amend, don’t let fido get high on your supply.

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02/21/2017 2:18 pm

abigchocoholic

Though its uncommon for THC exposure to be lethal in dogs, the animals’ heart rate can go down and they can die, the veterinarian said.

——————–

That’s it. That’s all we need to know as a society about mj. The mj party is over!

The evidence is– look at what it does to our puppies! Imprison anyone caught with a joint for 10 years to life like they did back in the 60s when America was great.

Protect the puppies at all costs!

Wait, how many people die a day in DUI related accidents in the U.S.? About 28 a day you say? Whatever. There’s a sale on vodka today at CVS. Get it by the gallon.

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02/21/2017 10:50 am

Jorge Estrada

If puppy can get them, so can child. Who will pay the cost to prosecute negligent parents for this unintended public expense?

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02/21/2017 10:08 am

JimF

So by that logic should we outlaw alcohol, prescription drugs, cleaning solvents, etc? —most of which are irrefutably more dangerous than weed? Probably not. Prohibition is really expensive and is mostly ineffective at addressing the types of problems you brought up.

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02/21/2017 2:29 pm

Jorge Estrada

Who said anything about outlaw? Don’t worry you’ll get your turbo hit, legal or not. You know paranoia can be a result of excessive use.

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02/22/2017 8:19 am

L.A.RamsFan

Paranoia can come from excessive misinformation, disinformation and pure and simple bullshit as well, Jorge! Read about it sometime…

Now I’ll go back to my pipe with it’s “turbo” (carburetor) while you take a beer bong hit! Let’s see who can still make it out the door after a couple, okay!

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02/23/2017 7:57 am

L.A.RamsFan

Last time I checked something had to be “outlawed” before one could be “prosecuted” for its use, duuuuuuuh!